Consumer · Right to Cancel
Right to Cancel a Purchase in Maryland
How long you have to cancel a door-to-door purchase in Maryland, the longer windows for timeshares and other categories, and why there is no general three-day right to return a car. Cited to the statute.
When the cooling-off right applies in Maryland
The door-to-door window, the categories with their own clocks, and the purchases that are not covered.
| When it applies | What it means |
|---|---|
| Three business days after signing | The buyer may cancel before midnight of the third business day, under Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-302. Section 14-301(b) defines a business day to exclude only Sunday and nine holidays, so Saturday counts. |
| 25 dollars, anywhere but the seller's office | The right reaches a personal solicitation of 25 dollars or more made at any place other than the seller's place of business, including a solicitation you invited. Courses of instruction or training are covered regardless of purpose. |
| Notice, an oral warning, and displayed ID | The seller must give a ten-point boldface Notice of Cancellation, warn you orally, and, before saying anything but a greeting, reveal and display identification stating who they are and what they sell. |
| Ten-business-day refund, 20-day goods | The seller must refund within ten business days and may not sell your note before the fifth business day, under § 14-302. If the seller does not collect the goods within twenty days, you may keep them. No cancellation fee is allowed. |
| When there is no right | What it means |
|---|---|
| Sales at the seller's place of business | A sale where your agreement is made at the seller's main office, permanent branch, or local address is outside the Act, along with anything under 25 dollars. |
| Smoke and CO detector installation | The Act carves out agreements for installing a smoke detector, heat detector, or carbon monoxide detector from the home improvement contract definition. |
| No emergency, real estate, or insurance carve-outs | Unlike many states, Maryland's Subtitle 3 contains no emergency-repair, real-estate, insurance, or securities exclusion in the text, which cuts in the consumer's favor. |
What you can do right now
Concrete, neutral steps to cancel a covered purchase in Maryland. This is consumer information, not legal advice.
- Count Saturday in your deadline
Maryland counts Saturday as a business day, so a Wednesday signing runs out Saturday at midnight, not Monday. Do not assume you have the weekend.
- Note any missing ID or oral warning
If the salesperson never showed ID or told you of the right out loud, that is a violation, and § 14-303 lets you cancel by any means at any time.
- Cancel in writing within the window
Send written cancellation to the seller by midnight of the third business day. Keep proof of when you sent it.
- Seek damages and fees if refused
Maryland gives a private action for all damages plus attorney fees under § 14-304. File a complaint with the Maryland Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.
If a seller refuses a timely, valid cancellation, a state consumer-protection office can take your complaint and enforce the cooling-off rules.
→ Maryland Attorney General · Consumer ProtectionThis is general consumer information, not legal advice. The category, the notice, and the deadline all matter, so confirm your right against the statute and use the complaint route if a valid cancellation is refused.
What Maryland buyers get wrong about cancelling
Maryland gives door-to-door buyers one of the strongest remedial packages in the region, and it counts days in a way that can catch you out. Under Md. Code, Com. Law § 14-302 you can cancel a door-to-door sale of 25 dollars or more before midnight of the third business day, but Maryland defines a business day to exclude only Sunday and nine holidays, so Saturday counts. A Wednesday signing runs out Saturday at midnight, not Monday. Maryland demands a lot of the salesperson: before saying anything but a greeting, the solicitor must reveal and display identification stating who they are and what they sell. And section 14-303 is the broadest clock-killer around, letting you cancel in any manner and by any means if the seller violates any provision of § 14-302, including the failure to give the oral warning or display ID. Maryland backs this with a direct private action for all damages plus attorney fees under § 14-304 and a misdemeanor for willful violations under § 14-305. The 25 dollar floor applies anywhere other than the seller's office, and training courses are covered regardless of purpose.
Common questions
Does Saturday count toward my three days in Maryland?
Yes. Section 14-301(b) defines a business day to exclude only Sunday and nine named holidays, so Saturday counts. A Wednesday signing runs out Saturday at midnight.
The salesperson never showed ID or said who they worked for. Does that affect my rights?
Yes. That violates §§ 14-302(10) and (11), and § 14-303 then lets you cancel in any manner and by any means at any time, with no deadline.
Can I get my lawyer's fees back in Maryland?
Yes. Section 14-304 gives the person affected all damages proximately caused by the violation plus reasonable attorney fees, a direct private action in the Act itself.
I signed up for a training course at a booth, not at their office. Covered?
Yes. Section 14-301(c)(2) includes courses of instruction or training regardless of the purpose for which they are taken, so the sale is inside the Act.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.